EU sees industrial revival in 3D printing, biotechnology

BRUSSELS -- The European Commission wants to revive the European Union's declining manufacturing sector by asking countries to invest heavily in new technologies such as 3D printing, says a leaked paper seen by Reuters.

Key manufacturing industries in Europe have shrunk and the EU's main regulators want to ensure that new technologies are exploited to cheapen manufacturing costs and increase production.

The paper which outlines the bloc's future industrial policy said the commission wants to raise manufacturing from 16 percent to 20 percent of EU GDP by 2020 using new techniques such as 3D printing which builds objects using instructions from a printer.

Enthusiasts for 3D printing say it will revolutionize manufacturing in electronics such as mobile phones and save millions in costs as it would be as cheap to produce one phone as it would be to make thousands.